Rock picker



which acts normally to hold the gate closed. An

arm or lever 24 is attached to the gate and has 'i attached thereto the rear end of a, releasing rope or cable 25 which extends forwardly through a guide 26 to a point adjacent the drivers seat of the tractor where it may be secured against displacement. By pulling on this rope or cable the operator, after tilting the box to dumping 4posilbetween the lower portions of the disks I4 below and out of the path of travel of the crank part I3. Hence in the travel of the vehicle and while the rake is picking up a load of rock, the rod 38 will remain inoperative. A controlling rope or cable 43 is attached at one end to the rear end of the rod and thence extends upwardly and forwardly through a 'guide 44 on the bracket 4I to a point adjacent the drivers seat on the tractor where its forward end is disposed in convenient position for manipulation. When a sufhcient supply of rock has been gathered by the rake the tion, may fully open the end gate to discharge the gathered rocks at the point of deposit;-

The picking or gathering means employed comprises a rake 21 formed of spacedV rods 28 xed attheir upper rear ends to a transverse or just below the surface of the ground, so that,

in the forward travel of the picker, all loose rocks on orV close to the surface will be taken up by the- By rotation of the shaft 29, the rake may' tines. be swung upwardly and rearwardly to its 'discharge position shown in Fig. 4, to deliver the gathered rocks to the box I6, which operation may be assisted by the action ofa spring'32 conf necting the shaft 29l`with one of the frame bars 4, the weight of the rake, when its load is des livered and it is free to move, being suilicientto?. swing it back to its normal gatheringposition.Vv On one end of the shaft 29 is a stop arm 33 e`n`f ga'geable with a bumper'34 on the adjacent lbar 4 toV limit the rearward swinging movement of' `the rake, vand at each end of the rakeis a' stopu arm 35 engageable with a bumper 36 on the ad? jacent bar 2 to limit/the forward swingingmovement ofthe rake; These bumpers are. secured by bolt'and nut fastenings 3'I to adaptthem to be angularly adjusted. The'adjustability ofthe." bumpers 36 is such that the rake may beheld ele-*1Y Vate'd' above the ground surface when the picker'. is not in use and is being transported from place to place.

-A device l1s "provided, which fis4 actuable byfth" crank I I, Vvfor 'dumping the box'. IISY when filled to idischa'rgethe gathered rocks.` This f device consists of a rod 38couple`d at'its forward'end to' a 'crank arm 39 `on'the shaft' 2'9 'and'ex'tendingl 60 having its/"rear end projecting at 'the rea'r `of=r therefrom rearwardly beneath the; shaftf'l and secured to and projectingbelow and'above `the` plane of 'the framebar 3.' 4Therod38 extends be-y tween the lower edges `of the disks 'I4 and' isfpro# operator vpulls on therope 43 to raise the rear end of the rod inthe slot 40 and to bring the shoulder 42 intoV the path of travel of the crank part I3. The crank part I3 will thereupon engage the shoulderat a point in advance of the vertical center of the shaft, as shown in Fig. 2, and move the rod rearwardly until crank part I3 reaches a position in rear of the shaft I at which thecrankpart I3 begins to move upwardly and away from and release the shoulder, as shown in Fig. 4. y During Vthis action the operator retains hold of the cable 43 and continues to pull on the cable to keep: the shoulder 42 in contact with-the crank part I3 and to raise the rod until, at the time the crank part I3 releases the shoulder, the rod engagesv the top wall of the slot 40.

During the above described movements of the parts I3, 38 Yand`43, the rake is elevated and discharges its-load into the box I6. The operator then releases'the cable 43 land the rake and rod drop by gravity back to normal position. The described movements of the 'parts I3, 38 and 43 maybe 'repeated until theV boxis lled and itis desired'to vdump its load. The' operator then' successively 'releases the rope 20 and pulls 'upn thel ropeZSY to allow the box to drop down and to vopen the gate I8 to discharge the load. The box is'then raised to normal position, in which action the gatel is 'automatically closed.

vFrom"the foregoing description; rtaken in connection" with"the drawings, the construction and mode ofoperation ofinyimprov'ed picker may be readily'unde'r'stood without a vfurther and' exbeunderstood.thatchanges in the'form, con-A struction vand arrangement'of partsmay be made, within'the scope of the 'appended claims, without departing from the spirit onsacrifcing `any oftheadvantages ofth'elinvention.

raving thus prescribed.. my j inventan, 1'A claim;

l. A' rock picker 'comprising a. .traveling -vehicle having agshaft drivenin the travel of. .the

. vehicle, .-said.y shaft /beingprovided with .a crank vided'with anA offset portion .42 forming a contactshoulder adapted to be'engag'ed byfthe cross; arm I3 of the crank I I, whereby motion is trans'- mitte'd totherod to move' the rake to delivery? position. In thenormal position of the rod 38,.;r

i. e., the position it occupies when therake is in gathering position, therod rests at'its rearend on thebottom walll of 'the guide slot 40, wherebyl projection, a receptacle on the vehicle, arake..

thev lshaft and r normally lying out of `the vpathof Y rotation-:offthe crank projection, said-rod being pivoted at its forward end ,.-to said-crank arm and Yprovided with a.; shoulder yadapted to be brought by Vupward movement vof therod into engagement with; the crank` projection for I operation; thereby tomove the rake from-gathering'position'to deliveryvpositionfguiding means'on thevehicle engage@ :by @her-rear. end ,of4 l the rod, and means connected with the rear end of the rod for raisandemmringaneisamgmmove smeren-Quise intovantlifouifdf the path :iclfiithei pi'oection: 2. A rock picker comprisingaltravlingfvehicla a fshaft-fdriveirfinthe travelioffthe vehicle, i 'artt"bei'nge-provide'd` with/1a* crankv'projeo-l toneareeeptaclefonthe vehiclea-frakepivotally mountedonl-#the vehicle forfswinging'emovements: roxnraerockf gathering -pasiticfriftoa a positionlfon dliveringrgatheredtrocksiftotlie: receptacles andi vicefversae@normally-inactive vertically-andilon `gii'uclin'ally` movable rnc'atior'iftransxiiittingerodpiv-d tlly f coupledfati one endt'etli-erakee'an' have iiigjffanUengag'ing-fpor ionfnormally'llyi outfoff therpath'ffl-rotatio adapted* ton bevbrough i 1 with for longitudinlmovement foils ther'el'dll'fliere-1 byeto yfsjsrvingf"the1-r1atl-effrondegathering-to -ieliveryl position, --a`ndi"means 'coupled"-t'crlf-theoppositeend ofthe rod for movingn the rod upwaridiign-anchdown-n wardlylintoand autor-*operating position.

3. A rock pickera comprisingay traveling vehicle having a `sliaft'cliverrinf-'the t-ravel of the -viii'clm saidsi'shaftrbeingnrmdedzwimga crank projection, a receptacle on thevhic1l-ajrakcf mounted o n-.ithavehiclef fortmoyement from a rock gathering 'position'to a position Vfor the delivery: dief-gathered rocks to`--tlie receptacle,-v ai Ver-` tieiillyiandilongitudinallyf movable rod v#pivotally oduplejde at11oneend-to-the-rak yand iflvertical arid-elongitudinal engagement'lati-its` oppositer'end with the vehicle frame, said rod being arranged below the shaft and having a shoulder normally lying out of the path of rotation of the crank projection but adapted to .be brought by the upward movement of the rod into the path of movement of said crank projection for operation of the rod thereby to shift the rod longitudinally and move the rake from gathering position to delivery position, and means for raising and lowering the rod to move its shoulder into and out of the path of travel of the crank projection.

4. A rock picker comprising a traveling vehicle including a frame having a, rear end portion provided with a vertical guide slot, a shaft mounted on the frame in advance of said rear end portion and driven in the travel of the vehicle, said shaft being provided with a crank projection, a receptacle on the vehicle in advance of the shaft, a. rake pivotally mounted on the vvehicle for swinging movements from a rock gathering position to a position for delivering gathered rocks to the receptacle, and vice versa, a motion transmitting device comprising a rod extending beneath the shaft longitudinally of the vehicle and pivotally coupled at its forward end to the rake and having its rear end engaging said guide slot, the rod being provided between its end with a shoulder normally lying below and out of the path of rotation of the crank projection but adapted to be brought by upward movement of the rod into engagement with the crank projection for operation thereby to swing the rake from gathering to delivery position, and means connected with the free end of the rod for swinging the rod upward and downward into and out of operating position.

5. A rock picker comprising a traveling vehicle having a shaft driven in the travel of the vehicle, said shaft having a U-shaped crank projecting radially therefrom,l spaced guide disks secured to the side arms of the crank, a receptacle on the vehicle, a rake mounted on the vehicle for movement from a rock gathering position to a position for the delivery of gathered mttwengager'nii/rittthereb-b irceksitoithezreceptacle; a.= verticallyam'de. longi-ixiieA dinally-fmovable'rodifext'ending @lengthwise of vehicleiandbeneaththeshatt and'pivotally connected@ attits'forwardendf to .theJrakel and: having rafshoul'der-portion .lying between .the-.disksrandf out` oii-fthe'frpatlr: off `travelifoi the cross .n piece ofi thevcrank: `butA adapted;frto` be. broughtinto .ene 'gagemenltlrerewith:by-=upward movement.; ofi the rodv fonlongitudinalamovement ofthe rod'. by;` the! crankg-,to-movef"the-rake from'gatheringpositiorh to.I delivery fzposition, rmeans for.i guiding the :freef Veifdi offthe rod 'in-Whe.r movementsoffthe rod; andi .meanstcnnectedz tosaidr free. end:y offrthe ro'dfor.- movingtheI-.rodi upwardly' tot. bring its 'shouldered f, vportion` into: thepath ofs't'he; crank Vor permitting arake@pivotallymountedon.thfframetfor swing.v ingfamovements from: ai rock.A gatheringgposiionr to.af-position` for ydelivering gathered' lrocks'. to i the.- receptacle4 randvficefversaf;y iazfnormally v inactiva vertically f and; 'longitudinally m'ovableEil-notion infansmittingrod?A coupledto .the rake sandhaving, aifishoulderl tosengage-the crank', saidrodfzbeing shoulden into ande out-if of; thetpath of;k travel o'ff the crank and movable longitudinally by engagement of the crank with the shoulder to swing the rake from gathering to delivery position.

7. A rock picker comprising a traveling vehicle, a pivotally mounted receptacle on the vehicle having an outlet and normally movable from a horizontal receiving position to a downwardly and rearwardly inclined dumping position, and releasing it for a dumping action, a gate for closing the outlet of the receptacle, means connected to the gate swinging the receptacle from receiving to dumping position, and vice versa, and simultaneously opening and closing the gate, and means operative in the travel of the vehicle for picking up rocks from the surface of the ground and delivering the same to the receptacle.

8. A rock picker comprising a traveling vehicle, a pivotally mounted receptacle on the vehicle having an outlet and normally movable from a horizontal receiving position to a downwardly and rearwardly inclined dumping position, a gate for closing the outlet of the receptacle, a spring for normally holding the gate closed, means connected to the gate for swinging the receptacle from gathering to delivery position and simultaneously and as part of such movements opening and closing the gate, and means operative in the travel of the vehicle for picking up rocks from the surface of the ground and delivering the same to the receptacle.

9. A rock picker comprising a traveling vehicle, a pivotally mounted receptacle on the vehicle having an outlet and normally movable from an elevated receiving position to a downwardly and rearwardly inclined dumping position, a gate for closing the outlet of the receptacle, a spring for normally holding the gate closed, an arm attached to the gate, a pull rope attached to the arm whereby the receptacle may be swung from receiving to delivery position, and vice versa, and the gate simultaneously opened and closed, and means operative in the travel of the vehicle for t10. .A rock picker, comprising a traveling ve hicle, a pivotally 'mounted receptacle on the vehicle having an outlet and normally movableby gravity from a horizontal receivingY position to a downwardly and rearwardly inclined dumping position, a pivoted gate for closing the outlet ofthe receptacle, :means acting on the gate for. normally holding it closed and permitting it to be opened, an arm attached to the gate, a .pull rope attached to the armlwhereby the receptacle may be held in receiving' position and the gate held closed and whereby the receptacle may be released for a, dumping action and the gate simultaneously forced by the arm to open position', and means operative in the travel of the vehicle for.picking up rocks from the surface of the ground and delivering the same to the receptacle.

. 11..,A rock picker comprising a traveling `vehicle having a driving shaft, a, receptacle on' the vehicle, a rake pivotally mountedV on'v the vehicle for swinging movements from a,- rock gathering position to a position for deliveryof gatheredrocks to the receptacle, and viceversa,

adjustable stop means on the 'rake and vehicle the shaft for actuating said rod andvmeans for rendering said rod operative`or inoperative by said actuating means.

12. A rock picker comprising 1a traveling ,ve'

hicle having a, driving shaft, areceptacle on the vehicle, a rake pivotally mounted on thepvehiclel for swinging movements from a rock gatheringr position to a position for delivery of gathered rocks to the receptacle, and Avice versa, ,stop

means comprising stop-arms onV the rakeand.

adjustable bumpers onv the vehicle frame for limiting the downward movement of therake.

and supporting it when desired in an elevated inoperative position, a normally inactive'motion transmitting rod for swinging the rake from gathering to delivery position, means on the shaft for actuating said rod, and means for rendering said rod operative or inoperative by said actuating means. y I

f ANTON M. JOCHIM.

REFERENCES CITED a The following references are of record in the' le of this patent:

UNITED lSTATES PATENTS Number Name Y Date 45,970 Brewster etal. Y Jan. 24, 1865 124,122 Davis Feb.v27, 1872 361,040

Baker Apr.v 12,' 1887K 

